Pecans, buttermilk and more at Malaprop’s Bookstore

Malaprop’s is hosting a triply tasty cookbook event on Saturday, Nov. 17, when three North Carolina food writers visit with recently released books.

Fred Thompson, author of Southern Sides: 250 Dishes That Really Make the Plate; Debbie Moose, author of Buttermilk; and Kathleen Purvis, author of Pecans, will sign books and offer advice at the event.

Buttermilk and Pecans are the first two books in the Savor the South series (from the University of North Carolina Press), which focuses on traditional Southern ingredients, such as peaches, tomatoes and bourbon, in addition to buttermilk and pecans. Each book features 50 recipes, ranging from the traditional to the exotic. Pecans includes recipes for both pecan pralines and leche quemada, a Brazilian milk candy similar to fudge.

Purvis, who is also the food editor for the Charlotte Observer, says she wants to show the versatility of Southern staples. “Pecans define Southern cooking in the same way that pignoli — pine nuts — define Italian cooking, “ she says. “Yet you can do a lot more than just Italian cooking with pine nuts or Southern cooking with pecans. They’re so adaptable and they lend themselves to so much. One of my favorite things in the book is a pesto made with pecans.”

The triple cookbook event takes place at Malaprop’s, 55 Haywood St., on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. For more information, visit malaprops.com/event.